Electric mower not working. How to Use an Electric Lawn Mower

How to Use an Electric Lawn Mower

Now that your dream mower is in front of you (or in your shopping cart), it’s time to rev your electric engine. You’ll want to review your manual for all the details on your specific mower model, but let’s start with a step-by-step guide on using your electric lawn mower. And don’t forget to check out our safety tips below – because safety is always a priority here at Greenworks.

Why Choose an Electric Lawn Mower?

If you want a smoother and more consistent mowing experience, an electric lawn mower takes the top prize. Cordless electric lawn mowers are hassle-free – charge the battery, click into place and you’re ready to mow. With an easy push-button start, no required maintenance and easy-to-store maneuverability, you can say goodbye forever to the hassle of gas mower pull cords and mid-mow refueling. Bonus: you can use your electric mower batteries on an arsenal of additional yard tools – your garage is a one-stop shop for anything you need!

How Do I Mow with a Battery-Powered Lawn Mower?

Great news: while electric mower models can vary, the basic mower anatomy is similar. Although mowers from other manufacturers may vary, c heck out our best practice guide to start mowing with a battery-powered mower. 1. Celebrate your sustainable and efficient electric lawn mower purchase.

Getting started with your new battery-powered lawn mower couldn’t be easier. No pull cords that hurt your shoulder and no dumping gas all over your driveway or yourself. Mowing your lawn has never been this easy – or enjoyable! 2. Charge your batteries.

Whether this is your first or fiftieth time using your electric lawn mower, you’ll need to make sure your batteries are charged and ready for mow time. Securely place your batteries into the designated charger and you’ll be powered up in no time. While your batteries are charging, you can get organized on the other fun parts of having an electric mower. 3. Decide if you want to mulch, bag or side discharge.

• If you’re in the mood to bag your lawn, ensure your side discharge flap is flush with the mower. Take out the bagging plug before you clip in your bagger. Easy peasy!
• If you’d like to mulch your lawn, check that the side discharge flap is flush and the mulching plug is in place. You’re good to go!
• If you’re side discharging, unhook your lawn bag and stick in the plug. Next, attach the side discharge vent – ensure your grass clippings will discharge to the side, not in your face.

Set your cutting height.

You can easily adjust the grass-cutting height for all four wheels with the lever located near the back wheels. And with up to seven height options, you’ll love the versatility and customization of simply moving the wheels up and down.

Insert charged batteries.

Open the lid to the battery compartment and gently slide the fully-charged battery – or batteries, depending on your model – into place. You should hear the batteries click securely into place.

Great news – you can’t do this wrong because the batteries only can slide in one way. Insert the safety key into the correct spot next to the batteries (if applicable) and you’re ready to rev.

Start up your electric mower.

Batteries? Check. Mulch/side discharge/bag in place? Check. You’re ready to turn on your mower. Simply push and hold the start button, pull the start handle– and voila! Your battery-powered lawn mower will purr into action.

Explore your mower’s features.

It’s time. You’ve finally made it to the lawn! While you are basking in the joy of mowing with your new battery-powered lawn mower, take a moment to test drive some of the fun features that your model may have, like the self-propel and turbo options.

While you mow, you can glance at your battery indicator to check how much power you have left. Most models have a battery indicator next to the start button, so keeping tabs on your mower’s available power is easy.

Close it down.

Once your lawn is looking crisp and pristine, you are ready to power down your mower. Spoiler alert: you just need to push the on/off button. It’s that easy! Find a cozy spot in your garage or shed for storage and you’re good to go. If it strikes your fancy, you can even fold it in half and hang it.

Safety Tips for Your Cordless Electric Mower

Safety first, friends. We know you – and your new electric mower – are powered up and ready to start mowing. But before you do, we need to touch on a few critical lawn mower safety tips:

• Protective eye gear: In a perfect world, we’d all have safety goggles at the ready – but if you don’t have a pair handy, make sure to put on protective eye gear like sunglasses or goggles. Add a baseball cap to help deflect any wayward pebbles or sticks that can launch your way – plus a hat will protect your face from the telltale “I just mowed my lawn” sunburn.
• Take a look at your shoes: Yes, your shoes. Most of us don’t think twice about wearing flip-flops during warm weather – but that’s a big hazard for mowing your lawn. Closed-toed shoes are a must, whether they’re gardening clogs, Nikes or anything in between.
• Check your batteries: We’re talking about the battery compartments in the front of your electric lawn mower. Before you lock and load your batteries, look closely at the battery bays to ensure there isn’t any moisture, standing water or leftover lawn debris hanging out in there.
• Pay attention to the weather: We have all been there – rushing to get in a quick lawn mowing before rains. But don’t head out with your lawn mower into potentially dangerous weather – it’s not worth the risk! Thunder and lightning can begin much earlier than rain – so keep an eye on the sky and if it’s too close of a call, hold off on mowing until better weather has arrived.
• Be a responsible mower: We know you will be – but it’s worth the reminder. Avoid mowing through standing water or close to where the kids or family pets are playing. And as tempting as it might be to elevate your mow time into a workout, keep a steady walking pace instead of running behind your mower. You’ve already nailed it on being environmentally responsible with your electric lawn mower – now just keep an eye on your surroundings.

Looking for more details on how to choose an electric lawn mower ? Check out the Greenworks mower buying guide and learn more about zero turn vs riding mowers and push mower vs. self-propelled.

Kobalt 80v Mower Problems and solutions

The Kobalt 80v Mower is a great lawn mower for those who don’t want to spend a lot or go with electric or manual mowers. The first problem is that the engine starts and stops intermittently, resulting in a dangerous situation for the user.

Another concern is about the uneven cutting and vibration from the blade. It doesn’t seem to cut well on dense grass or mulch properly. You might also fetch high speed vibration which leads to damage.

The Most Common Problems in Kobalt 80v Mower

kobalt 80v mower won’t start

When you start your Kobalt 80v mower and if it doesn’t start, there is a chance that you may have forgotten to charge the battery. In this case, check your batteries and make sure that they are charged before using the mower.

However, you should still make sure that you check the battery gauge. There might be grass clogged somewhere. It’s important to clean under the deck if clogged with grass.

If you find that your battery is not charging, it might be because it’s completely dead. If this is the case, you can check out our article on how to replace your batteries and start your mower again!

kobalt 80v Mower Beeping Issue

The first thing to do is check the blades and deck to see if they are clogged or not. It is possible for the blade and deck to be clogged with debris and need to be cleaned.

If they are, clean them with water and a cleaning solution. Check all electric connections as well. If you still hear the beep on your mower after these steps then try checking the battery or replacing it if necessary.

A clogged fuel filter or faulty battery may cause beeping noises to sound sporadically while mowing. You may find that your mower starts to beep after some use, or it might be a continuous beep.

This can indicate a clogged connection between the motor and the wiring. It is important to clean these connections when you notice this problem. You should remove the copper windings from the motor clean and also clean connections of the motor.

Uneven cutting

The Uneven cutting on Kobalt 80v Mower is a common issue that consumers have with the device. The uneven cutting makes it difficult to cut the yard uniformly.

Plus, there are some problems with the yard scaling. The uneven cutting height of Kobalt 80v Mower can result in uneven cutting and make it difficult to scale a lawn evenly.

The uneven cutting height also causes some areas on the lawn to be rougher and irregular than others. This can be solved by adjusting the height of the grass cutting blade using a wrench and adjusting the mower deck cutting height.

The uneven cutting is also caused by not setting the proper cutting height for this device as well as setting different heights for each mowing pass. In order to avoid these issues, mowers must be adjusted according to their specific lawn requirements.

Check the lawn height during cool and hot weather. The height should be between 1-1/2 and 2 inches tall during cool weather and between 2 and 3-1/4 inches tall during hot weather.

High Speed Vibration

Gas-powered mowers are prone to emitting vibrations that could lead to injuries, especially for other components with a high sensitivity. Also, self-propelled mowers are better as they lack the vibration level and have a good balance of the blades.

Keep an eye out for unexpected and excessive vibration on your Kobalt 80v Mower. This could be a sign of something more serious and needs to be checked out.

If you are experiencing a vibration on the mower, it is probably because your motor shaft is bent. If the blades are vibrating on the mower, this could be due to an issue with the blade set or other issues that may need replacement.

If you examine your blades and determine that they are vibrating, try sharpening and replace them immediately. If sharpening or replacing the blades doesn’t fix the issue, contact Kobalt customer service for assistance.

Kobalt 80V Mower Self-Propelled Not Working

One of the common problems of the kobalt 80v mower is that the self-propelled feature may stop working.

• a faulty drive belt
• a worn out transmission
• a clogged air filter
• or a low battery charge.

To fix this problem, one should first check the battery level and charge it if needed. Then, one should inspect the drive belt and the transmission for any signs of damage or wear and tear.

If the belt is loose or broken, it should be replaced. If the transmission is damaged, it may need to be repaired or replaced by a professional.

Finally, one should clean the air filter and make sure it is not blocked by dirt or debris. A clean air filter can improve the performance and efficiency of the mower.

The best way to avoid this from happening again is to have regular maintenance of your mower and take appropriate precautions while using it.

A very common problem for lawn mowers is that the motor shaft can be damaged due to the excessive vibration.

With high speed vibration, the motor shaft is not just broken – it would be difficult for a lawn mower to run without damaging other parts in the process. Get professional service in these cases.

Mulching Problem

The mulching blades may become ineffective for wet grass in your yard and it won’t mulch properly. You can solve this issue by waiting until the grasses dry before mowing. Dull battery and tall grass can also cause problems like this.

This is a common problem that many homeowners encounter in their yards. The solution for this problem is to wait until the grass dries out before mowing it again.

There are some other solutions that you can try as well, like adding more fuel or changing the blade angle to prevent clippings from going into other components, which will cause wear on them and decrease their lifespan.

Grass clogs the blades and prevents the blades from turning. Grass that is wet will weigh more than dry grass, making it harder to push around and clean the clog out of the blades.

A solution for this problem is to mulch the grass after it gets dry and won’t clog up the blades.

Conclusion

There are some problems with the Kobalt 80v mower. But some steps can solve the issues. If you take care of the mower, you will use it for a long time. And if you keep it clean and sharp, it will be a good companion for your garden’s needs.

When using the mower, always wear gloves to avoid rips and tears on your hands. Use a cleaner to remove any debris that may have caught up in the blades of the mower.

In addition, make sure you buy an extra set of sharp blades so that when one gets dull, you can change it out with a new one without any problems.

Problems With Electric Start Lawn Mowers

Electric starting mechanisms eliminate the need to pull tirelessly on a rip cord in order to get your lawn mower running. Instead, when using an electric start mower, you simply need to flick a switch or turn a key, just like with an automobile’s ignition. Despite the several advantages of electric starting mechanisms, the mowers that utilize them can still have several problems.

Power Cord Chaos

Most electric start mowers on the market are entirely electric, using electricity to power cutting bladesand front or back wheels with self-propelled modelsin addition to powering starting mechanisms. Obtaining the electricity for an electric mower typically requires running a power cord across your lawn to an indoor or outdoor power outlet. In most instances, manufacturers do not include long cords with the mowers, which means you have to spend additional funds on an extension cord before you can cover any real distance, according to the lawn mower resource, Lawn Mower 411.

However, there are limits when it comes to using extension cords with electric mowers, which means the mowers are not well-suited for covering large areas. You should never use more than 230 feet of cord, according to the lawn mower resource Lawn and Mower, otherwise your mower may not run properly. In addition, towing around a power cord while you mow can be a hassle, and running over it is an electrocution risk.

Lack of Power and Durability

An alternative to the corded, all-electric start mower is the cordless battery-powered all-electric start mower. While this type of mower eliminates the hassles of a traditional pull-start mower without reverting to the use of chaotic power cords, the mowerlike all electric mowersstill has several problems. The cordless mowers are often not sturdy enough for heavy-duty landscaping and professional lawncare work and are much less powerful than gas-powered mowers, the lawn mower resource, Electric Lawn Mowers, reports.

Battery Drawbacks

There are some mower models, such as the Honda HRX217K2HMA, which utilize standard, cord-free, gasoline-powered engines in combination with electric start mechanisms. Instead of receiving electricity from power outlets, these starting mechanisms run on battery-power; eliminating the distance-restrictions, hassles and risks associated with using corded electric start mowers. Using such a mower also eliminates the power and durability problems associated with electric mowers in general.

The downside, however, is when the battery powering the starting mechanism of a gas-powered mower dies, you cannot start the mowerunless, of course, the mower has a back-up, pull-start mechanism. So even though you may be able to take an electric start, gas-powered mower further than an all-electric model, if it breaks down, you will have to push it all the way back to charge or replace the battery.

Troubleshoot and Resolve Greenworks Lawn Mower Problems

The weather’s nice and you’re ready get outside and cut the grass. But after a long winter’s storage you’ve discovered a problem with your Greenworks lawn mower. Let’s go over the most common problems owners run into, and how you can fix them quickly.

Problem 1: The mower won’t start

The most obvious reasons why a mower won’t start is lack of power. If you’ve plugged in the cord or inserted the battery, put in the key (not all models have keys), pushed the button, and nothing happens, there are just a few reasons why.

The battery is dead

Put the battery into the charger and see if the light is green. Lithium-Ion batteries maintain most of their charge for a long time in storage, but if you put it away nearly empty, it may need a recharge. (Prolong its life by charging it just to 50% before storing it.)

Greenworks batteries last up to about 2,000 charges and have a 2-year warranty. If your battery is more than three years old, or if it has been exposed to extreme heat (like the dashboard of a car in the summer), it may not be performing the way it did when it was new. High temperatures kill the battery, and could make it leak or explode.

If you have access to another Greenworks battery, try swapping it with your old one to see if the mower starts, and also if your charger is working properly.

The power is off or the cord has a problem

If you have a corded electrical mower, see if the outlet you’re using is working. Sometimes the power gets shut off or a breaker has tripped. Test the outlet with a different electrical appliance.

Check the extension cord for wear. Test it with a different electrical appliance, too, to see if power runs through it properly, or if it has a short. Try to start the mower with a different extension cord. Make sure the wire has the correct gauge (see below for more information).

The starter switch is broken or defective

Once in a while the starter will have failed. If the two prior steps of checking the battery and charger and cord and outlet aren’t resolving your problem, it’s time to call for help. Greenworks has a toll-free helpline: 1-888-909-6757, or 1-888-90WORKS.

Problem 2: The mower vibrates and makes weird noises

These are not noisy gas lawn mowers, so if your mower is shaking and making unusual noises, turn it off. Unplug it or take out the battery. Then tip it on its side and take a look underneath.

The blade is damaged

The blade could be unbalanced if it was sharpened too much on one edge. Remove the blade. Buy a cheap little conical plastic balancer at a lawn and garden center and lay the blade onto it. That makes it easy to see if you’ve sharpened it correctly. (You can also hang the blade on a nail through the center hole.) If one side hangs lower than the other, your blade is out of balance. You can file or grind the edge that hangs lower until the blade hangs level.

The blade may be incorrectly mounted. Check the orientation in case someone mounted it upside down.

Worst case scenario is that the blade is bent or badly dinged up enough that you’ll need to buy a new one.

The motor shaft is bent

If the blade looks okay, see if the motor shaft looks damaged. If that’s the case, it’s time to call Greenworks or a lawn mower mechanic for help. This is a rather rare problem if you don’t usually run over rocks, branches, tools, or toys while you’re mowing. Give the blade a closer look if you know you haven’t been maltreating your mower.

Problem 3: The mower is not cutting or mulching well

There are a few things that can cause your mower to behave badly. Not enough electrical power, dull blades, very tall grass, and wet conditions are some of the challenges you might face.

Extension cord

If you’ve not had to do much with extension cords and power tools, you might not know that you need increasingly thicker wires to carry enough electricity over longer distances. If your cord can’t get enough electricity to your mower, your mower will not work properly.

For example, the Greenworks 21” electric mower requires 13A of current. If you have a tiny yard, you can use a 50-foot cord with 16-gauge wire. But if you use a 100’ cord, you’ll want 14-gauge. The maximum cord length they recommend using is 150’ of 12-gauge wire. It sounds backward, but the smaller the gauge number (AWG), the thicker the wire is.

Dull blade

All work and no sharpening will have your lawn mower tearing out the grass instead of cutting it. Use a metal file to hone the cutting edges every couple of weeks, or at least once a month if you have a small lawn. You can also use a grinder, but take it slow if you don’t have a lot of practice sharpening blades.

It’s easier if you have a second blade so you can swap them. One goes into the shop for sharpening while you mow with the other.

The ground is too soft or wet

Mother Nature doesn’t always consult our schedules, so the ground may be too wet for you to mow when you have time to do it. Wet grass will stick to the underside of the deck and the mower won’t mulch nicely. If it’s not mulching at all, you may have forgotten to insert the mulch plug.

Soft, muddy ground or a full bag of clippings will make the mower much harder to push. If you can put off mowing till the yard dries, your grass and your back will thank you. If you absolutely must cut the lawn, raise the height of the deck and see if that helps.

Smooth running

Greenworks mowers are best-sellers partly because they are easy to use and maintain. Keep the battery charged, check your extension cord, sharpen your blade, and give the underside of your mower a good cleaning once a month and before storing it for the winter. Happy Mowing!